Photographic film rack



Oct. 7, H L. BRADDY v PHOTOGRAPHIG FILM RACK Filed Feb. 6, 1945 Wow 4 r QN 6w... K 1 w W s \m Q R w M l b2 w Patented Get. 7, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM RACK Hansford L. Braddy, Miami, Fla. Application February 6, 1945, Serial No. 576,385

1 Claim. 1

This invention appertains to improvements in photographic film racks generally, and more particularl to a type thereof for use by commercial photographers, employing film developing machines.

An important object and advantage of the in-- vention is to provide a substantially improved and simplified rack structure of this kind, which can be readily substituted for standard makes of film racks for machine developing use and which is made entirely of metal and with fewer parts, so as to stand up, against damage or breakage, under the stresses and strains incident to elevator chain travel in lowering the rack to immerse the attached films into a developing or fixing solution and in lifting the rack and film therefrom, such damage or breakage having been found to be more or less common in the use of certain of the rack structures now being supplied to the trade as part of standard equipment.

With this and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides in the certain new and useful combination, construction, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, set forth in the appended claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved rack structure, in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical, transverse section, taken through the line 2-2 on Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a somewhat reduced plan view of the back part of the rack structure;

Figure 4 is a like plan view of the front part per se; and

Figure 5 is a side edge elevation of one end of the film rack, showing the manner of assembly of the front and back parts with the supporting bar and the attaching loop at the end of the latter.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the improved film rack, as it is exemplified therein, comprises a flat, elongated, metal bar I0, having a half twist I2 equidistantly spaced inwardly from each of its ends and the end portions, extending beyond the twists, bent to form substantially closed loops I4, which are adapted to be engaged with links of a pair of spaced elevator chains (not shown), of a film developing machine.

Secured to one side of the bar III, between the twists I2, is a back plate I6, of a suitable gauge sheet metal, having its lower edge formed with a series of equidistantly spaced cutouts, to provide a plurality of tongues I3, preferably tapering toward their free ends, substantially as shown. Each of these tongues I8 is transversely slotted, as at 29, adjacent its free end, to be engaged by a film suspension clip 22.

Commonly secured with the back plate It to the bar II], by rivets or the like 24, is a front plate 26, also of a suitable gauge sheet metal, which has its upper edge formed with a series of cutouts, corresponding in number to the number of cutouts in the lower edge of the back plate I6 and disposed in line therewith, to provide a number of tongues 28, corresponding to and in line with the tongues I8. The back plate I6 is preferably made of a heavier gauge of sheet metal than is the front plate 25, so that the tongues 28 are substantially resilient and function as spring clips to retain customers identification between each of the same and the back plate I6, in line with each customers film to be developed and attached to the suspension clips 22 for the purpose; each identification preferably being in the form of an envelope (not shown) in which the film is received and to be returned.

It is t be noted that the front plate 26 is mounted on the side of the bar I0 opposite from that on which the back plate I6 is secured, and that the tongues 28, of the front plate, are given a more acute taper than the taper of the tongues I8, of the back plate, by which rrangement and by reason of the front plate being constructed from a lighter weight of sheet metal than that used in the make up of the back plate, the tongues 28 have a resiliency imparted to them which causes them to bear on the back plate, at their outer or free ends, which ends are slightly outturned, as at 30, to provide finger grips to facilitate the placing of the identification envelopes beneath the same and their removal therefrom.

Having thus fully described my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the practice of commercial photography that the disclosed film rack structure presents a meritorious improvement over certain of the film racks now in use, especially in view of its compact, less expensive, and all-metal, hence, unbreakable construction.

Without further description, it will be understood that changes in form and minor details of construction and arrangement of parts of the disclosed embodiment of my invention may be resorted to, within the limits in scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A film rack comprising a back plate having its lower half formed with a series of equidistantly spaced cutouts, thereby providing a plurality of tongues tapering toward their free ends and each transversely slotted adjacent said end, an equal plurality of suspension clips each attached to the back plate through one of the slots, a fiat elongated bar afifixed to the intermediate portion of the back plate and above the cut outs therein, said bar extending beyond either of the lateral edges of the back plate and terminating at either end in a half-twisted looped portion, each loop defining an opening directed at right angles to the plane of the back plate, and a front plate affixed near its lower edge to the back plate and bar and having its lower portion spaced by the bar from the back plate and being provided with cut outs extending downwardly from its upper edge and each registering with a cut out in the back plate, such cut outs in the front plate defining outwardly bent spring tongues bearing with their intermediate parts against the back plate.

HANSFORD L. BRADDY.

REFERENCES CITED I'he following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 989,213 Wahl Apr. 11, 1911 1,404,276 Cross Jan. 24, 1922 2,092,522 Post Sept, 7, 1937 251,966 Tait Jan. 3, 1882 897,090 Graves Aug. 25, 1908 1,451,066 Dye Apr. 10, 1923 1,687,581 Murphy Oct. 16, 1928 1,952,937 Pilato Mar. 27, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 118,157 Great Britain Aug. 20, 1918 

